


the flowers are blooming; so are we

by Anonymous



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Knight!Nursey, Language of Flowers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Nature, Witch!Dex, feat. dragons, there is minor violence and descriptions of blood and injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22480423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Nursey enlists the help of a powerful witch, known as Dex, to carry out the king's orders and get rid of a dragon that threatens the safety of the kingdom.Unbeknownst to him, the dragon he was sent to kill belongs to Dex.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 14
Kudos: 117
Collections: Anonymous





	the flowers are blooming; so are we

**Author's Note:**

> to help with visualization, when i wrote this i imagined that dex does magic in a very similar way to scarlet witch from the mcu. he also has a wand but he doesn’t always use it. (don’t ask me how his magic works; there are no rules)
> 
> also [this](https://lintufriikki.tumblr.com/post/173166263258/im-so-glad-spyro-is-cute-in-the-remakes) is basically how i envisioned casper so if you wanna know what he looks like, it’s pretty much that but his body is red and his eyes are green
> 
> check, please! and its characters belong to ngozi

“Casper, what are you doing?”

Dex comes around the cart and frowns when he sees Casper up on the shelves inside. 

“I told you not to scorch the labels off,” he scolds Casper, inspecting his bottles. “I know you don’t like being little, but I can’t be traipsing around the forest with a giant dragon. The king would have a fit, and I would like to stay in his good graces. Makes business a whole lot easier.”

Casper spits an ember at Dex. It catches on the tip of his pointed hat and fizzles out. Dex raises his eyebrows, unimpressed. He’d fireproofed his clothing a long time ago.

“Do you want to spend the day as a rat?”

Casper whips his head around, scowling.

“That’s what I thought. We only have one healing today. When we get back home, you can be full size, okay?” Dex crosses his arms. “Or you could stay at home with the frogs, if you’d prefer.”

Casper stares at Dex. Dex stares back. Casper snorts, shooting embers out of his nostrils. Dex’s gaze doesn’t waver.

Finally, Casper hops down from the shelves, flicking his tail at Dex. He exhales a puff of smoke and curls up on the floor, laying his head on his front legs. 

“Thank you.” 

Dex goes back to the front of the cart, waving his hand to get it moving again. 

As he travels down the dirt road, he sees a _very_ handsome knight walking towards him. As he gets closer, Dex can see the bright emerald ribbons on his armor and he realizes that it’s the new commander. 

The knight approaches Dex, his expression wary. 

“Well, if it isn’t Commander Nurse,” Dex says. He performs a theatrical curtsy, tipping so far the point of his hat nearly touches the ground. 

The knight squares his shoulders. “Are you the witch everyone talks about?” he inquires. 

Dex pouts, placing his hand over his heart like he’s been hurt. “I have a name, Nursey.”

“My name is Derek.”

“Oh, darling, I know.” Dex smirks. “You may call me Dex.” He puts his hands on his hips and cocks his head. “So, what’s a pretty boy like you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off rescuing a princess or something?”

“I don’t appreciate your mocking, witch.” Nursey sniffs haughtily, though Dex thinks he might be blushing. “And, though you in no way deserve to know, I’m not interested in princesses,” he mumbles. 

Dex _absolutely_ does not find this piece of information intriguing and exciting.

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Nursey continues.

“Oooh what kind of favor?” Dex wiggles his eyebrows. 

Nursey turns his head away, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “Are your mannerisms always this coquettish?” 

“Only with the cute ones.” Dex climbs into the back of his cart to rummage around for his wand. “What can I do for you Nursey?” 

“The king is concerned about a dragon roaming around the forest, and he has asked me to get rid of it.” Nursey fidgets with the handle of his sword. “I will carry out his order, but I… I am plagued by my nerves. My associates recommended I seek your assistance.” 

Dex pauses. “What’d you say?” 

“Someone told me you had a potion for courage?” 

“Yeah yeah I got that part. What’d you say before that?”

“That I need it to slay a dragon?” 

Dex’s heart sinks. He’d been so careful about Casper because this was exactly the kind of situation he was trying to avoid. “Were you given a description of said dragon?” Dex’s eyes dart to Casper, who is—

“Scaly.” 

Uh oh. 

“Sparkly eyes, like jewels.” 

Dex winces. 

“Horns on top of its head with spikes down its back.” 

So basically, they’re fucked.

Dex and Casper stare at each other, both wide-eyed. 

_Don’t make a sound,_ Dex mouths to him. He utters a summoning spell under his breath, and his wand flies out from under his travel cauldron into his hand. Casper shrinks back into the corner. 

Dex straightens up and hops out of his cart. “Look, I’d love to help you, but I’m on my way to a job I have to take care of first. If you have time and you’d like to tag along, I’d more than enjoy your company.” It’s not an untruthful statement, however it is Dex’s way of stalling.

Nursey frowns and opens his mouth. After a second, he closes it and appears to be considering the invitation. “I suppose I could accompany you on your errand, granted it won’t waste the whole day.”

Dex’s lips curve into a grin. “Of course not. I would _never_ behave so discourteously.” He points his wand at the wheels of his cart. With a groan, they begin to roll. 

Dex walks at a leisurely pace, occasionally stopping to pick plants off the side of the road or chat with the wildlife. Nursey doesn’t know, but Dex has time before his appointment, so he technically does not need to rush. Had he not run into Nursey, he would be going a lot faster, but — things change. 

Plus, the lack of urgency clearly bothers Nursey, and it’s fun to see his feathers ruffled a little. 

“Are you determined to loiter all day, witch?” Nursey protests.

Dex rolls his eyes at Nursey. “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a conversation? It’s very rude to interrupt someone else,” he says. He turns back to the family of rabbits, shaking his head. “The nerve of some people.” He clicks his tongue. “I gotta get going or my friend’s going to burst a blood vessel.”

The family of rabbits scampers off into the brush. 

“We’re not friends. The sole reason I’ve even tolerated you this long is because I need a service only you can provide — Don’t,” Nursey says before Dex can make another innuendo. 

“Aren’t you pleasant to be around?” Dex mumbles, loud enough that Nursey can hear, but quiet enough that he can claim to be talking to himself. “No wonder knights are only friends with themselves.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Beg.”

“Must you always be an insufferable, insolent miscreant?”

Dex mimics Nursey’s voice. “Must you always be an insipid, condescending jerk?”

Nursey clenches his jaw. “You are truly vexing.”

“Thanks, I try.” Dex smirks and the sight of it infuriates Nursey.

Nursey turns away from Dex and they walk in stone cold silence, which is fine with Dex. He doesn’t need to prove himself to Mister High and Mighty Derek Nurse. 

He cannot wait until their business is done and they can part ways so he never has to see him again. 

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Nursey hadn’t known exactly what to expect before he met Dex. 

He’d heard of the witch’s great power, how he had a solution for any problem, no matter how big or small. Everyone he’d talked to spoke of the witch in awe, and it frightened him. 

His mind conjured up a hideous, elderly figure, who talked in riddles and loved to play nasty tricks on people. 

He hadn’t been ready for a flirtatious young man wearing a pinstripe vest and matching black dress pants. If Dex hadn’t been wearing a crooked witch hat and walking next to a self-driving cart, Nursey would’ve passed right by him, never the wiser. 

Nursey composes himself. He’s a knight, for goodness sake. He represents honor, discipline, poise. He can’t be sidetracked by a salacious witch and his amorous antics. (Even if said witch is, admittedly, good-looking.)

Nursey’s no stranger to rudeness — his mentor was arrogant and prideful and expressed it through every action and sentence he spoke — but somehow Dex gets under his skin in a way in a completely different way. 

As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, Nursey finds himself drawn to Dex. He doesn’t understand why. Dex is dangerous, in multiple ways. He aggravates Nursey constantly and the two of them couldn’t be more different but despite all of that, Dex is magnetic. 

“We’re here,” Dex says, scattering Nursey’s thoughts. He pauses outside a small house near the border of the city wall, and places his hand on the front of the wagon. It slows to a creaky stop. 

He knocks three times on the door. Quick footsteps approach from the other side and the door opens. A woman with a sweet face peeks out, her eyes wide. 

“Hi Fiona,” Dex says warmly. 

Her face relaxes into an expression of relief. “Dex, thank heavens you’re here.”

“Is it okay if my friend comes in?” Dex points his thumb over his shoulder at Nursey. 

Fiona glances at Nursey with an amused expression. “ _‘Friend’,_ huh?” she murmurs to Dex. “You sure do have a way with people.” She shakes her head. “Commander Nurse,” she says louder, bowing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Nursey replies. 

Fiona smiles meekly and steps back, opening the door all the way. “Please, come in.”

Dex waves his wand at his cart. Nursey starts at the sound of clanging and clattering, and nearly jumps when Dex’s cauldron and a jar float out from the back.

“Well, come on,” Dex says, bringing Nursey back to attention. 

He follows Dex into the house. It’s cozy, reminding him of the home he grew up in. Fiona leads him and Dex to the bedroom in the back. The door is ajar, and Derek can see the foot of a bed over the others’ shoulders. 

“Rose will be delighted to see you,” she says as she pushes the door open. 

“Dex!” the little girl sitting in the bed exclaims. She turns her head slightly to look at Nursey. “Who’s that?” 

“This, my dear Rosie, is my new friend Nursey. He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” Dex throws his arm around Nursey’s neck and winks at her. “I brought him as a good luck charm.” 

Rose giggles. “Hello Mister Nursey,” she says, waving at him.

Nursey smiles. “Good morning Miss Rose.”

Dex slides over to her right side. “So. What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?” he asks, hands on his hips. 

“I hurt my leg.” 

“She fell and broke it,” Fiona explains, twisting her apron in her hands. “And we can’t afford to take her to a doctor.”

“No worries,” Dex assures her. His cauldron hovers in the corner, near the head of her bed. “I’ll have this fixed in no time. I started the potion last night, so all I have to do is heat it up and add the final ingredient.”

“Thank you, Dex. Really, if there’s any way we can—”

“I won’t accept your offer,” Dex cuts her off. 

“You never do,” Fiona sighs, shaking her head, though there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. “Oh! But I do have some more Bleeding Moss for you.” 

“Wonderful, I was running low.” Dex snaps his fingers and a tiny fire ignites underneath his cauldron. “Do you happen to have any of those muffins I had last time?”

“The chocolate pumpkin ones?” 

“Yes, they were _delicious._ ”

“No, but I can whip some up right now. They don’t take long.”

“I would love that.”

Nursey sits in the corner closest to the door and watches Dex work. The thought that perhaps he has misjudged Dex enters his mind. The Dex he’s observing now could not be more different than the Dex he’d met. He’s sweet and kind and mellow, and Rose very obviously adores him. 

As Dex’s potion warms, he keeps her entertained with funny stories. He tells the tale of running away from a horde of goblins after “borrowing” their Prismatic Harp, and about the time he accidentally stumbled into a den of thorny howlers and gotten completely walloped by them.

“Yeah, they didn’t really appreciate the time I took their Elemental Tonic,” Dex says with a shudder. 

Rose snickers. 

“Do you find that funny, young lady?” He unscrews the lid on the jar, which is filled with what looks like blades of grass, except they’re a pale pink that blends into a dark purple towards the tip. He picks out two and drops them into the cauldron. 

Rose’s giggles turn into laughter. 

“Well how else was I supposed to finish my Medicine of the Undead?” Dex pretends to sulk. “They can just make more tonic. It’s like, the only thing they know how to do besides knock your socks off. And not in a good way.”

Steam rises from Dex’s cauldron, as its contents bubble. Dex sticks his finger in it and tastes a tiny bit of it. 

“We’re all set Rosie,” Dex says, producing a cup out of thin air. “This is going to help the spell I use work a lot faster, so I need you to drink all of it, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Dex watches as she drains the cup. “Perfect.” He takes the cup from her in one hand, covers it with his other, and when he opens his hand, the cup is gone. “May I move your quilt so I can see your leg?”

Rose nods. Dex gingerly pulls back her quilt to expose the injury. Her right leg is swollen and bruised. 

“I’m going to mend the bone now,” he informs her.

“Will it hurt?” she asks.

Dex rolls up the sleeves of his white shirt. Nursey _definitely_ does not find it attractive. 

“You might feel a little itty bitty pinch,” he says, “but I promise to be as gentle as I can.” He holds his hands out over her leg, then pauses. “I’ve got a new song for you.”

She perks up. “You do?”

“I do. Do you want to hear it?”

“Yes!”

Keeping his right hand over her leg, he brings his left hand up closer to her face. 

“Twinkle twinkle little star / How I wonder what you are.” As he sings, the room darkens and his left hand begins to sparkle. He wiggles his fingers, creating a tiny galaxy that begins to expand, eventually becoming so big that it stretches across the entire ceiling.

Nursey notices a red aura coming from Dex’s right hand. Rose’s leg glows faintly the same red, but she is transfixed on the numerous stars above her. It is truly astounding, but Nursey is fascinated by Dex’s hands. His fingers are slender and graceful, and they work skillfully. The thought makes him feel stupid, but he can’t think of a better way to describe them. 

He drags his attention up to the ceiling. Thoughts like this are dangerous and should not be entertained. It is highly inappropriate, not to mention, absurd. 

Him, Commander Derek Nurse, having feelings for a witch? And one as mischievous and crafty as Dex, for that matter? Inconceivable. The very idea is laughable. 

He wishes he found it more humorous. 

“Up above the world so high / Like a diamond in the sky / Twinkle twinkle little star / How I wonder what you are.” Dex finishes his song and the room gradually brightens, returning to normal. The light fades from both of Dex’s hands. 

“All done,” Dex states. “Did you feel anything?”

Rose shakes her head. 

“Marvelous. Do you want to try to walk?” 

Rose lowers her feet until they touch the floor. She shifts more and more of her weight onto them, her excitement growing as she stands completely upright. She takes a timid step, then another, more sure. 

She squeals with glee, running out into the kitchen. “Mommy!” she shouts. “Dex fixed my leg!” 

Fiona places the plate of muffins onto the table. “Oh Rosie!” She leans down to scoop her daughter up into a tight hug. 

Dex and Nursey exit Rose’s bedroom, joining the two in the kitchen. 

“I cannot thank you enough,” Fiona says, eyes glistening with tears. “You’ve helped us so many times and I am forever indebted to you.”

Dex shakes his head vehemently. “You’re my _friends._ I do this to be helpful, not because I expect some kind of payment in return.”

“I hope then, that you’ll accept these muffins. And” — she places a small handkerchief tied with a blue ribbon next to the muffins — “here is your Bleeding Moss.” 

“You are the best, my dear,” Dex says, taking off his hat and dropping the handkerchief in it. He picks up a muffin and places his hat back on his head. “Nursey, smile. Have a muffin.” 

Nursey complies with the latter, discovering Dex was not exaggerating about how good they are.

“How’s Casper?” Fiona inquires. 

“Hmm?” Dex pops the last bit of his muffin in his mouth. “Casper? Still the biggest trouble maker, always causing me grief, but I love him all the same.”

Nursey’s bite goes down hard. 

“Where is he?” 

“Oh, um. I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to bring him because of… uh…” Dex tilts his head at Nursey. “I figured there’d be a conflict of interest.” 

“Ah,” she says. “I see. Will you give him a muffin for me?”

“Sure. He’ll be thrilled.” 

“I’m going to wait by the door,” Nursey announces, butting into their conversation. Normally, he’d be more sheepish about his rudeness, but there are more pressing emotions occupying his attention. He nods to Fiona. “I’d like to express my thanks for your hospitality and compliment your muffins. They are delightful.”

He leaves the room, shame warming his face and spreading to the rest of his body. 

How silly and foolish of him to think that just because Dex made a few passes at him, it actually meant anything. Dex even mentioned he flirted with his customers. Nursey’s simply another pretty face, to be forgotten when their transaction is finished.

The house is small enough that, unfortunately, Dex is still visible from where Nursey’s standing. 

“I’d better get going. I promised I’d help Nursey out with something important,” Dex says. He crouches down, addressing Rose. “Now Miss Rose. You stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Dex holds out his pinky. “Pinky promise?”

Rose links hers with his. “Pinky promise.” She reaches up, wrapping her arms around Dex’s neck. “Bye Dex.”

“Bye Rosie. Send me an invite to another tea party soon.” Dex stands up. He starts towards the front door, his face soft and genuinely happy.

Nursey whips his head around, not looking at Dex as he approaches. 

“Hey, ready to go?” Dex says.

Nursey nods. He’s clenching his jaw so tightly, his teeth are beginning to grow sore. 

Dex holds the door open. “After you.”

“Thank you,” Nursey says begrudgingly. He has half a mind to walk away without looking back, but the sound of Dex’s cart rolling behind him tells him Dex has already started after him.

Dex catches up to him, walking beside him, but remains quiet. After a few minutes, he begins to hum softly to himself. 

Nursey sneaks a peek at Dex. His hands are in his pockets and his face is lit up with contentment. 

The humming, the gentleness in his features, the casual smoothness with which he strolls down the road — all together, it’s too much for Nursey.

He’d like for this to be over as soon as possible, so he can depart from Dex — hopefully for good — and rid himself of these unwanted emotions. 

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Nursey is silent as they leave the city, keeping his line of sight fixed on the road ahead of them. He walks stiffly, his posture impeccable. Since he isn’t currently being the most thrilling conversationalist, Dex hums a little tune that’s been floating around his head. 

“So,” Dex says in an attempt to lighten the situation. “Tell me about yourself Nursey.”

“Excuse me?” Nursey raises an eyebrow. “Why should I tell you?”

Dex shrugs. “We can share. You tell me about you and I’ll tell you about me.” Nursey still looks skeptical. “Look, I’m just trying to get to know you better, that’s all. I won’t steal your soul or anything... probably.” He holds up his hands. “I swear. I really do want us to be friends.”

Nursey sighs. “What kind of information do you want to know?” 

“What’re your parents like?” 

“My father passed away when I was a baby and my mother loves flowers.” 

Dex hides his grimace. “I ran away from home when I was young. My mom had warned me about witches in the forest, but I thought that was just something she made up to scare me into being good.” He drops his voice to a stage whisper. “Spoiler alert, it was not.”

Without warning, Nursey stops. “Stop talking.”

Dex frowns. “What’s the problem?”

“This. Us, being friends.” Nursey shakes his head. “It’s preposterous.”

“But—”

“You’ve already wasted enough of my time,” Nursey interrupts. “I have something urgent to accomplish and instead I’m wandering around the woods with you. Are you normally this inconsiderate of everyone else’s time?”

Dex bristles. “I’m sorry, is being around trees making you butthurt because they remind you of the stick that’s jammed firmly up your ass?”

“I envy everyone who’s never had the misfortune of encountering you.” 

“ _You_ asked for _my_ help, remember?” Dex snaps. His hands ball into fists at his sides. 

____

____

“Yes, and I have yet to receive it.”

“Fine! God,” Dex huffs. “I’ll get you your stupid fucking potion so you’ll leave and don’t even _think_ about ever asking me for any more favors in the future.”

“That is my intention.”

Dex stops his cart and scans the shelves. His head spins with irritation, and his blood boils under his skin. He spots the bottle he wants and snatches it and a small cup off the shelf. 

“If he knew how many goddamn ways I could make his life miserable,” he grumbles, haphazardly pouring out the amount Nursey needs. 

He slams the bottle on the shelf harder than he should and stomps over to Nursey. “Here,” he says, holding out the cup. 

Nursey drinks it. “It tastes like cotton candy.”

Dex freezes. “What?”

“The potion is very sweet.” Nursey takes in the look on Dex’s face and frowns slightly. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh… n-no,” Dex lies. “Just… hang out here for a sec.” 

He hurries to the other side of the cart and pulls the bottle back off the shelf. Unscrewing the cap, he takes a delicate whiff. 

“Oh shit,” he mutters to himself. He puts the bottle back on the shelf. 

“Casper!” he hisses. The little dragon pokes his head out from behind the cauldron. “I told you _not_ to scorch off my goddamn labels and now, thanks to you, instead of giving Commander Nurse a little bit of extra courage like I meant to, I’ve just given him a _love potion!_ ” 

Casper blinks at Dex, completely indifferent. He snorts out a few embers, then shifts himself so he’s facing the wall. 

“Dex?” Nursey peers around the cart. “You seem awfully stressed. Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Dex says, much more forcefully than necessary. 

Nursey cocks his head. “You are… absolutely captivating, you know that? He grabs Dex’s hands, staring directly into his eyes. “I could live a thousand lives and still not possess enough time to admire you the way you were meant to be admired.”

Dex can tell by the heat radiating off his face that he must be pure red. “Of course, he’s a romantic,” he sighs. 

Nursey gasps, his face lighting up. “Oh! I understand why people use the word ‘bewitching’ now!” His grip on Dex’s hands tighten. 

“Alright buddy, this is not what either of us wanted.” Dex leads a very compliant Nursey over to the back of the cart and sits him down. “Stay here.” 

Nursey’s gaze is fixated on Dex’s face, his eyes gooey with admiration and wonder. “Okay.”

Dex climbs into the back, pacing around. “What do I do?” he groans to himself, smacking his forehead. “What the fuck am I going to do?” 

Love potions are serious business, and he’d given Nursey a big dosage thinking it was something else. There are potions to undo the effects of a love potion, but they’re very tricky to perfect, and disastrous to get wrong. 

Therefore, his brain is in full on Panic Mode. 

He pokes around the shelves inside the cart, until he finds the potion for courage that he was supposed to give Nursey. Maybe, if he gives Nursey a little extra, it might be stronger than the love potion. 

“Alright Nursey,” Dex says, sitting down next to him. Nursey turns his head slowly. “I need you to drink this.”

Nursey obeys without a second thought. They sit in silence, Dex waiting for it to kick in. He entertains himself by animating a tiny mouse made of dirt, watching as it scurries around the grass. 

What he really should’ve been doing is paying attention. 

In the blink of an eye, Nursey’s on top of him, straddling his waist. He stares at Dex with some of the most fervent bedroom eyes Dex has ever seen, and it dawns on him that combining a love philter and a courage potion was not his brightest idea. 

Nursey’s gaze dips to Dex’s lips. 

_Fuck._

Dex cannot kiss someone who is under the influence of a love potion. As much as he’d like to kiss Nursey, it’d be weird, not to mention _highly_ unethical.

He puts his hands on Nursey’s chest, holding him at arm’s length. “Nursey, you have a dragon to slay, remember?” he stammers.

Derek’s eyes light up. “Oh! You’re right!” 

“I typically am.”

A determined expression settles on Nursey’s face. “Come with me.”

“What?” Dex props himself up on his forearms. 

“You can assist me in the battle against the dragon! Victory would be inevitable.” 

“I appreciate your confidence in my abilities because I’m amazing and it’s totally justified, but I don’t think I should go with you.”

“But I need you,” Nursey whines. “I can’t do this without you.”

Dex weighs it out in his head. It’s a little difficult to do with Nursey on his lap — he _really_ needs to get Nursey off of him, otherwise this situation is about to get exponentially more uncomfortable for both of them.

There’s no way he can agree, no matter how convincing Nursey’s puppy eyes are.

It’s a bad idea. Scratch that, it’s a _terrible_ idea. It’s the worst idea in the history of bad ideas — and Dex would know, he’s the king of bad ideas. He absolutely cannot go on a mission with a high ranking knight for whom he is developing affection to slay a dragon that happens to be his favorite companion. 

It’s not about feelings for Nursey. 

(That’s a lie.)

It’s also about him not wanting his dragon to be killed, and the fact that Nursey is in no condition to be fighting a dragon right now — but it’s mostly about his feelings for Nursey, who is one hundred percent _off limits._

“Please?” Nursey asks again.

_Tell him no._

“Okay.”

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


He’s got this under control. 

His plan is to meander around the forest with Nursey until the love potion wears off, causing him to fall asleep, and Dex will leave the proper drink for him to take when he wakes up. He’ll make sure Nursey’s not in a dangerous part of the woods — he may enjoy getting a rise out of Nursey, but he’s not cruel — and then it’ll be _bon voyage._

Dex sends the cart home and strays from the road to walk amongst the trees. Nursey insists on holding his hand, swinging it as they walk. He’s much more loose and carefree than before, periodically stopping to appreciate the wildlife. 

Dex decides to have some fun with it, whispering incantations under his breath. Flowers pop up in the grass, uncurling and blossoming into a vibrant rainbow that makes Nursey’s face light up with the purest, most wholesome joy Dex has ever seen. 

He bends down to pick a pink camellia and offers it to Nursey. 

“For me?” Nursey asks tentatively.

Dex nods.

Nursey takes it and looks at Dex like he’d just given him the moon. “Thank you.”

Dex blushes, turning all of the flowers into a brilliant shade of red.

“My mother grows lovely roses in our garden,” Nursey says, observing all the red. “When this is all over, I shall bring you a bouquet as a token of my devotion.” His face scrunches up adorably as he thinks. “Would you like that?”

“Very much so,” Dex says, more truthfully than he’d care to admit. 

“Consider it done.” 

They enter a hidden clearing and Dex flops down onto the grass in the shade beneath a tree. He closes his eyes, letting the rest of his senses absorb the balmy atmosphere. The grass tickles the back of his neck as he sinks further down into the earth. 

“What are you—”

“Lay down,” Dex interrupts. 

“Why?”

“Because it’s really nice. Trust me.” Dex’s mouth lifts into a smile when he hears Nursey settling into the grass next to him. 

The breeze caresses the trees, whose leaves rustle back in response. For one moment, he allows himself to pretend like Nursey is not under the influence of a love potion, that he’s here because he wants to be, that this could be real. 

“Dex?” Nursey says, breaking Dex out of his reverie.

“Mhmm?”

“I’m getting sleepy.”

“That’s okay. You can go to sleep.”

“Will you be here when I wake up?” 

The hopeful edge to Nursey’s question makes Dex’s guilt sink deeper in his stomach. “...Yes.” 

“Okay.”

Dex waits until he’s sure Nursey’s fast asleep before he dares to move. He can’t help but take one more glance at Nursey, fully aware that it’s another one of his bad ideas. 

Dex already knows Nursey is beautiful, but here he is _breathtaking,_ his face serene and cloaked in the gentle shadow of the trees. Without his armor, he could be a fairy, and Dex would gladly give up his name and let himself be led away into the Fairy world without a moment’s thought. 

A ring of gardenias sprout around Nursey, an involuntary manifestation of Dex’s feelings. He turns his head down and away, unable to continue ogling.

“Take care of him,” he whispers to the trees, because he knows they’re always listening. 

Dex trudges home, feeling strangely weighed down by today’s events. The weeping willow tree that hides his cottage barely raises its leaves enough for him to pass under, and shudders as he walks by. 

He enters his house, removing his hat and hanging it on the coat rack near the front door. He stalks through the house, unbuttoning his vest and ignoring the magical items whizzing by his head. Casper’s curled up near the fireplace, lightly snoring. 

Dex lays his vest on the kitchen counter and sinks into his armchair. The noise of the fire crackling isn’t enough to distract him from his internal thoughts and the cocktail of guilt, disappointment, and loneliness cooking inside of him. 

He’s had a long day. Taking a nap would do him some good, since he skipped out on the other one. He closes his eyes, shoving away the image of Nursey sleeping beneath the trees, and within minutes, he’s asleep.

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Nursey wakes up, wincing when he feels a slight pulsing in his head. 

He takes in his surroundings, trying to make sense of where he is. The first thing he notices is the white flowers, and how odd it is that they form an outline around him. 

The last thing he remembers is being on the road with Dex. They were arguing and then… things get a little fuzzy. It’s as if those memories have been dipped in honey, everything cloyingly sweet and tinted gold. 

He was happy, he knows that for sure. So full of happiness it was almost painful, practically bursting from his chest like a caged bird wanting to be set free.

Nursey sits up. There’s an empty space next to him, the grass still flattened in the shape of Dex’s body. The discovery leaves a bitter taste in Nursey’s mouth. 

_Where did Dex go?_ he wonders. And why does he care? 

There’s a vial in the grass next to him with a note attached, telling him to drink the contents of the bottle and wishing him good luck with the dragon. Nursey grabs it and stands. He does as note says, taking a closer look at the flowers as he drinks. 

White gardenias.

Nursey’s heart jumps at the implied meaning of them, but he abandons the idea that they carry any meaning at all. Dex most likely doesn’t know anything about the flower’s symbolism. 

A pop of pink jumps out at him from the edge of the ring. Nursey crouches down, identifying it as a camellia. He remembers Dex giving it to him on their way here. 

It has to be a coincidence. Or a mistake. There has to be some other explanation besides Dex having feelings for him and using flowers to express said feelings.

And what about Casper? Whoever Casper is, Dex already loves him. So then… perhaps Casper is a family member?

Without warning, the flowers begin to shrivel up and wilt, and green mist creeps in from behind him.

Nursey spins around, wielding his sword. 

The mist condenses into an opaque haze, obscuring his vision. He can just barely make out the silhouette of a creature in the midst of all the fog. 

The creature draws nearer to Nursey. Nursey squints, trying to identify the creature. It unfurls its wings, blotting out the sun and drowning Nursey in darkness. 

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Dex jolts awake.

His heart is beating abnormally fast and his hair sticks to his damp forehead.

Casper nips at Dex’s leg. 

“Ow! What the hell?” Dex gasps. 

Casper runs over to the back door, scratching at it. Dex hauls himself up. 

“Okay okay, chill out,” Dex says, opening the door and stepping outside. “What did you call me out here for—” 

The stench hits him immediately. It’s sharp, heavy in the air, and unmistakably the smell of a toxic dragon.

_That’s strange,_ Dex frowns. _What would a toxic dragon be doing here?_

Dex’s blood turns to ice. 

_Nursey._

Dex swears under his breath. He closes his eyes, focusing all his attention on locating Nursey. The haze prevents him from being as accurate as he could be, but he pinpoints Nursey’s general area. 

When he arrives, the only thing he registers is the thick layer of green fog blanketing the forest floor. The smell is even stronger, and Dex resists the urge to gag. 

The dragon’s nowhere to be found, but Dex has no idea how much time he has until it returns. 

“God dammit Nurse, where are you?” Dex murmurs, scanning the area wildly. Something shiny reflects a tiny bit of light through the cloud.

He hears hissing from his right side and drops to the ground, crawling forward to avoid being detected. 

Nursey’s in both better and worse condition than he’d feared. He’s unconscious and his breaths are shallow, but at least he’s still alive. The dragon’s acidic gas has corroded away Nursey’s armor, and a large scratch runs across Nursey’s chest, diagonally down from his right shoulder to the left side of his abdomen. His sword lies in the grass next to him. 

Dex picks up the sword and loops Nursey’s arm around his neck, hauling him up. 

The hissing grows louder, and a tail cuts through the fog, nearly smacking into Dex’s head.

Dex squeezes his eyes shut. “There’s no place like home!” he yells, and they’re whisked away back to his cottage. 

When he opens his eyes, they’re standing in his living room. He sighs in relief, but his worries are far from gone. 

“Casper get me hot water!” he orders. Casper turns and scampers off. 

He sends Nursey’s sword away, magic pooling in his palms, and shoves all the furniture back against the walls. With a loud pop, his bed appears in the center of the room and he carefully lays Nursey down on it. A chair from his kitchen table floats over and settles next to the bed.

Dex snaps his fingers, rekindling the embers into a roaring fire and the ladle in the cauldron begins to stir. He holds out his arm and his spellbook floats over, the pages flipping open to the recipe he needs. 

As he reads down the list of ingredients, the constraints on his cupboard unlatch and jars fly off the shelves, landing on his table. 

He sits the book up on his bookstand and gets to work. 

When the antidote is simmering in the cauldron, he retrieves medicinal balm and a washcloth from the kitchen and crosses into the living room.

Dex stares at Nursey’s unconscious body. 

In order for him to clean the wound, he’s going to have to remove Nursey’s shirt.

He’s performed major healings before — with beings in much worse shape than this — but this feels wrong. Intrusive, in some way. 

Nursey’s shirt is already torn, so Dex has no trouble getting it off. Casper returns, carrying a bucket in his mouth. It swings back and forth, water sloshing over the sides.

“Careful Cas,” Dex says, lifting his foot to dodge the steaming water. 

He dips the washcloth into the bucket and begins to clean the blood off Nursey’s torso. Nursey groans, but he doesn’t wake up. 

Dex doesn’t like how pale Nursey is. He doesn’t know how long Nursey had been there before he got there, so Nursey potentially inhaled a substantial amount of poison. 

Once the blood is washed away, the wound doesn’t look as scary. It’s fairly large, but it’s not extremely deep. 

Dex dips his fingers in the balm and, as tenderly as he can, rubs it on the angry red claw marks. Casper nudges his leg and he looks down to see him holding bandages in his mouth. 

Despite the flood of emotions threatening to pull him under, Dex smiles. “Thanks bud.”

Nursey stays fast asleep throughout the whole process, which makes Dex’s life a whole lot easier. With the gash clean and bandaged, and the antidote brewing, Dex eases up a little. He has to wait until the antidote is ready or Nursey is awake to do anything else. 

“Casper, keep an eye on Nursey,” Dex says quietly. “Let me know if he wakes up alright?” 

Casper leaps into the armchair tucked in the corner. Dex leaves, the smell of medicine and herbs following him into the garden.

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Nursey’s eyes flutter open. 

Blood roars in his ears, each beat accentuating the throbbing in his head. His whole body aches. He blinks a few times, trying to clear his blurry vision. 

He studies his surroundings, yet again finding himself in an unfamiliar place. 

He’s lying in a bed in the middle of what appears to be a living room. A big black cauldron hangs in the stone fireplace, tongues of fire flickering up its sides. An enormous cupboard filled with the strangest things Nursey’s ever seen rattles against the wall. Most of the contents are contained in jars with varying degrees of consciousness, as far as he can tell. Chains wind around the doors, with a big padlock sealing them shut. 

Past the foot of Nursey’s bed is a table with a variety of different plants on a cutting board, and a huge, ancient book resting off to the side. 

Nursey hears a snort and looks over to see a fluffy, well-loved armchair with a little red dragon in it. The dragon is looking straight at him. 

He tenses, sucking in a breath as pain shoots up his side. He tries to move his right arm, but something’s restraining it, and even the tiniest movement makes it feel like he’s been touched with a hot poker. With his left hand, he slowly peels back the blanket covering him. 

Blood stained bandages wrap around his right shoulder, across his bare chest, and under his left arm. 

Nursey shuts his eyes, taking slow, even breaths to ground himself. He replays what he can remember, trying to fill in the gaps that could explain how he landed himself here. 

He woke up in the clearing. He drank the courage potion. He noticed the flowers. Green smoke. Sharp claws. He woke up here.

The dragon gets up and hops onto the floor with a light thump, and runs out of the room. A few minutes later, it returns with Dex in tow.

Dex’s eyes meet his and Nursey feels _extremely_ naked. 

“You’re awake,” Dex says.

Nursey tries to respond, but his nose and throat are raw and all that comes out is a few scratchy noises. He coughs, then winces at the sharp stab in his chest.

“Shhh, relax Derek. Don’t try to talk.” Dex walks past the bed to the fireplace, peering into the cauldron. He takes the ladle and fills a wooden bowl with a creamy light green liquid, then sits in the chair next to the bed. “Drink this.” 

Nursey parts his lips as Dex holds the bowl up to his mouth, tipping it slightly. 

“It’ll take some time for the medicine to rid your body of the toxins you breathed in,” Dex says as Nursey swallows, “but it should help with the pain.” 

The effect is immediate, soothing his throat and lessening the pain in his head and side.

“What...” Nursey croaks, “what happened?”

Dex chews on his lip. “You were attacked by a toxic dragon. Nasty little fuckers,” he explains. He hangs his head, looking genuinely remorseful. “I swear on my life I didn’t know there was actually a hostile dragon out there. I thought I’d left you in a safe part of the forest, and I’m… I’m really sorry.”

The dragon hops up into Dex’s lap. Nursey eyes it warily. 

“Shit, is Casper making you nervous?” Dex asks. 

“Who?” 

Dex pats the dragon’s head. “Casper.” 

Nursey tilts his head, face scrunched in a confused pout. “Casper’s a dragon? But I thought…”

His mind is filled with questions, but trying to think is too hard for him right now. 

“Thought what?” Understanding dawns on Dex as he stares at Nursey’s conflicted expression. “You thought Casper was a person, didn’t you?” 

Nursey’s hesitation confirms his statement. “When Fiona asked about him, your answer led me to believe that that was the case.”

“Why?”

“You were incredibly vague about it.” 

“Truth be told,” Dex admits, “I thought Casper was the dragon the king was worried about, and if you knew about him, you’d kill him.” He scratches the side of his neck. “What’s the difference?” 

Nursey’s cheeks pink. “It’s not important.”

If Nursey wasn’t in the current condition he was in currently, Dex would tease him about it. Instead, he racks his brain to figure out what could’ve bothered Nursey about it. 

What had he said in the house? 

_“He’s still a troublemaker, but I love him all the same… I didn’t bring him because I thought there’d be a… conflict of interests.”_

He recalls how Nursey’s demeanor had changed once they’d left. Nursey had been rather cross with him, which hadn’t made sense at the time. But if what he suspects is true… 

Dex stands up abruptly, knocking Casper off his lap. “I think it’s time to check your wound,” Dex says to Nursey, as Casper hisses in annoyance. “I’m really sorry, it’s going to hurt but I have to sit you up.”

“I understand.” 

Casper growls at Dex. 

“Go get me more hot water and a rag please,” Dex says, picking up a jar from his table. He sits down on the edge of the bed next to Nursey as Casper slinks away. 

Nursey has to bite his tongue when Dex pulls his body up to stop any noises from escaping. “Do you sleep in your living room?” he asks as Dex carefully unwraps the bandages.

“Huh? Oh.” Dex laughs lightly. “No. I had to spell it here.” 

He removes the last of the bandages. The bleeding has stopped, and already the open flesh is closing up. “Not bad, huh?” 

Casper drags in the bucket full of steaming water, a white towel swimming around in it. Dex wrings it out and tentatively touches Nursey’s right shoulder. “Is the water too hot?” he asks. 

Nursey shakes his head. Even if it was, he’s too busy looking at Dex to care. There’s a small crease between his eyebrows, and he has a gentle resolve on his face as he gently wipes away the blood. The light dances off his eyelashes when he blinks.

Nursey decides he likes Dex most like this. 

His heart skips when Dex applies some kind of ointment to his injury. Dex’s fingers are soft, and Nursey, with fresh wonder, admires the beauty of Dex’s hands as he rebandages his wound. 

“Why’d you come to get me?” he says.

Dex’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“You had no reason to come get me. Our obligations to each other, if you could even call it that, were finished.” 

Dex scoffs, screwing the lid onto the jar. “I couldn’t just turn a blind eye to your distress.”

“But I wasn’t nice to you.”

“Neither was I.” Dex shrugs. “But I’ve dealt with worse, and even if you were the nastiest person I’d ever met, I still would’ve gone to rescue you because now you’re indebted to me for the rest of your life.”

Panic flashes across Nursey’s face.

Dex’s mouth twists into a wry smile. “At ease Commander, I’m joking.” 

Nursey frowns. “Not funny, witch,” he says, but there’s no real anger in his voice. The corners of his mouth lift into a small grin. 

Dex’s eyes dart to Nursey’s lips, and he brings his hand up to cup the side of Nursey’s face, brushing his cheek with his thumb. He starts to lean in unconsciously, in a trance-like state. They hear the sound of wings flapping and something heavy landing on the ground outside. A loud roar shakes the house, snapping Dex out of it. 

He stands and peeks out the window. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he mutters. 

“What is it?” Nursey says, shifting so his legs hang off the side of the bed. 

“No no,” Dex says, holding his hand up against Nursey’s chest but not applying any pressure. “Absolutely not. There’s no way I can let you go out there. You got your ass handed to you once, and that was when you weren’t injured.”

“The king has ordered—”

“No offense, but I could give two shits about what the king wants right now because I’m not letting you die.” 

“But—”

“Stay here.” Dex turns to Casper. “Cas, let’s go.”

The dragon towers over the cottage, dark eyes glinting like onyx. Its oily black scales reflect a dim rainbow in the sunlight, and neon green acid drips from its mouth. 

Dex curls his fingers, and a ball of red magic appears in his palm. He throws it at Casper and it fully engulfs the little dragon. 

The outline of his body is still visible as he grows, wings and claws and limbs elongating. 

Standing before them is an enormous, terrifying dragon, nothing like the cute companion Nursey had met earlier on the road. His green eyes glitter like emeralds, his spiked tail swishing. His claws dig into the dirt, and he stands proudly, shaking out his wings. 

Casper rears his head back and a blaze of fire shoots out of his mouth. Dex holds his arm up to shield his face from the intense heat and light. Casper exhales through his nose, tendrils of black smoke curling out of his mouth.

The toxic dragon hisses at Casper and a green mist starts to creep up from the ground. It fills Dex’s yard, condensing rapidly, and soon he and Casper are separated, blinded by the fog. 

Dex holds up his hands, working on dissipating the fog. It clings stubbornly, like it’s elastic and he’s trying to reach its breaking point. 

He hears a low hiss moving around him, and pushes harder. Sweat drips down his forehead and his muscles ache with the effort, but with one last shove, he forces the fog back into the forest.

The dragon is directly in front of him, mouth full of acid. 

A tail sweeps Dex off his feet and he falls backwards into the grass. Alarms blare in his mind and he knows he could very well die in the next moment, but all he can think to do is raise his hands in front of his face. 

A spray of liquid splashes on him, but it’s not acid. 

Dex lowers his hand to see a sword lodged firmly in the dragon’s chest, thick black blood leaking out. 

The dragon roars in rage, staggering sideways before collapsing on the ground, its head landing beside Dex. 

Dex recoils. “Eww fuck,” he groans. It takes him a second for his shock and adrenaline and disgust to recede before he can process what had happened.

He didn’t kill the dragon.

Casper didn’t kill the dragon.

Dex twists around to see Nursey slumped in the back doorway. His face is pale and contorted in pain, but showing through is a resolute courage. 

Dex pushes himself up shaking his arms to get rid of some of the dragon’s blood. “I told you to stay inside,” he says, walking towards the door. 

“An expression of gratitude would be appreciated.”

“Look, you’re bleeding again.” Dex points and Nursey drops his head. Fresh blood stains the bandages. He grabs Nursey’s hand and leads him back to the bed in the living room.

“Sit,” he orders, giving Nursey a light push. “Don’t move.” 

Dex unbuttons his soiled shirt and yanks it off, dropping it onto the floor. The dragon’s blood coats his hands and forearms, almost reaching his elbows. He taps the bucket and it refills with hot water. He dips his hands in, scrubbing them until most of the blood is gone. 

“You called me Derek," Nursey says softly. 

Dex stiffens. “No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did. I heard you.”

“You must’ve heard wrong.”

“Will you ever stop fighting with me?”

“Depends if you ever stop picking fights with me,” Dex smirks and sits down next to Nursey. He softens his voice. “Hold still, okay?”

They’re both silent as he redresses the wound. Nursey notices black splotches left from Dex’s haphazard rinsing. Some of them look like black freckles, mixing in with the ones already there. 

“Can I…” Nursey nods at Dex’s hands, after he’s finished. 

Dex looks down to see a little bit of black blood still on his arms, higher up near his elbow. “Um,” he says, surprised. “Sure.” 

Dex shakes out the washcloth, spelling away Nursey’s blood, then hands it to him. Nursey scoots forward, bringing them even closer to each other. He feels Dex shiver when he gently takes his hands. 

Without a word, he rinses away the dragon’s blood, trying to commit the feel of Dex’s hands to memory. Dex smells faintly like honey and earth, like the forest lives and breathes within him, and he is simply an extension of it. 

Over Dex’s shoulder Nursey notices a vase of flowers on the kitchen table — a striking arrangement of asters and a single daffodil. To be honest, it’s quite ugly, but to Nursey it says a great deal, and it’s this small thing that seals away his doubt and gives him enough courage to take the first step. 

“Dex,” he says quietly. 

“Yeah?” Dex replies, only half paying attention. His attention is captured by Nursey’s hand holding his.

“Are you knowledgeable about flower symbolism?”

“Yeah, why? Someone send you some pretty flowers?”

“In a manner of speaking.” 

“Do you need help decoding them?”

Nursey smiles, shaking his head. “My mom likes flowers, remember? I grew up learning their language.”

“What ones are you thinking of?”

“White gardenia and pink camellia.”

“Oh.” Dex straightens up. A flush crawls from his ears, to his cheeks, down his neck and into his shoulders. “So… you knew.” 

“I do now.” Nursey nods at the vase. 

Dex glances over his shoulder. The flowers have transformed into a bouquet of pink and red carnations and tulips. “Fuck.” 

Nursey laughs. 

“Don’t laugh! This is a tragic moment for me!” Dex puffs out his cheeks, pouting dramatically. 

“Your feelings aren’t as one-sided as you have led yourself to believe.” 

Dex blows air out of his mouth, his body sagging like a deflated balloon. “Oh.”

Nursey bites back his laughter. “For someone who insists on being as flirtatious as you, you are rather insensible.”

Dex opens his mouth, probably about to argue and say something obnoxious, so Nursey leans in and presses his mouth to Dex’s. 

He smiles against Dex’s lips when he feels Dex’s hands on his neck, cupping his jaw. 

“Wait,” Dex says, pulling back suddenly. “I accidentally gave you a love potion earlier, and if any part of you is still experiencing the effects then I can’t.” 

“You gave me a love potion?” 

Dex nods. “It was an accident, I didn’t mean to. I was just angry and I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Can a love potion alter the way someone feels, if the person who takes it already likes the person who’s giving it to them?”

Dex’s eyebrows draw together. “No. It can only create temporary feelings if the person’s uninterested, or make already existing ones stronger.”

“Then it did not fabricate any feelings in me. It just intensified and changed the way I expressed them.” Nursey tilts his head. “I tried to kiss you then, too, but you stopped me. If you had feelings for me then, you could’ve gone with it.”

“Excuse you I have morals!” Dex objects. “Besides,” — he drops his gaze — “I wanted it to be real.”

Nursey squeezes Dex’s hand. “It is.” 

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


The king paces around his throne, anxiously awaiting news about the dragon dilemma. As long as it’s around, his people are not safe. It’s his duty to look after them, and he takes the matter very seriously.

There’s a knock on the doors to the throne room. His guards haul them open, and his messenger hurries in. 

“Your majesty,” he says. He places his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “I have news.”

The king ceases his pacing. “Has he done it?”

“Hear it from him yourself.”

Behind him, a knight in emerald green ribbons marches in, head held high. 

The knight kneels before the king. “Your majesty,” he says. “The dragon shall be a problem no more.” 

  


__

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

  


Somewhere, deep in the forest, a witch is tending to his garden out in front of his quaint old cottage. His giant dragon lays out on the front lawn, snoring softly as he basks in the bright sun. 

A knight approaches, carrying a bouquet of beautiful, healthy red roses. The clinking of his armor alerts the witch of his arrival. The witch straightens up, turning to face his visitor. 

“Commander Nurse.” He swipes at the sweat on his face, leaving a smudge of dirt across his nose. “Fancy seeing you around this part of the woods.” He widens his eyes, looking around cautiously. “I’d be careful if I were you. I hear there’s a rather unpleasant witch who lives around here.” 

“Oh! Woe is me!” the knight exclaims. “Upon meeting such a villainous figure, whatever shall I do?” 

“Run for your life. The witch likes pretty things, and he might try to steal you away.”

The knight smiles. “Perhaps the witch could grow to have a heart.”

“Ah, well. We’ll see about that.” The witch smiles back. “Would you care to join me for lunch?” 

The knight nods. He takes the witch’s hand in his, and together they disappear inside.

**Author's Note:**

> i didn’t put this at the notes in the beginning because it was spoiler-y, but the toxic dragon was inspired by [this](http://fav.me/dd0ouu3)
> 
> as for flower symbolism:  
> pink camellia - longing for you [[x](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)]  
> white gardenia - you’re lovely; secret love [[x](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)]  
> aster - symbol of love [[x](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)]  
> daffodil - unrequited love [[x](https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/flower-meanings)]  
> red tulips - declaration of love [[x](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)]  
> red carnations - admiration [[x](http://thelanguageofflowers.com/)]  
> [x](https://www.ftd.com/product/adore-you-bouquet-prd-20-v2/)
> 
> comments/kudos/bookmarks are always appreciated! :)


End file.
